Before the Bias List‘s Top 50 songs countdown in December, it’s time to take a mid-year survey of the k-pop landscape in 2017. Compared to 2016, this year has been somewhat underwhelming. But that doesn’t mean 2017 hasn’t had its share of highlights. Unsurprisingly, my list includes a number of acts that overlap with last … Continue reading
Amidst everything going on with his band-mate T.O.P, G-Dragon made the right decision in releasing the emotive Untitled, 2014 as the first single from his new mini album. But this being G-Dragon, we knew we’d be getting at least one hip-hop hype track before the album campaign was over. The eye-catchingly titled Bullshit is the … Continue reading
It’s such a thrill to write about a solo G-Dragon track. Though Bigbang has been active over the past few years, we haven’t heard from G-Dragon on his own since 2013’s brilliant Coup d’Etat album. But on a personal level, he was one of my first ambassadors to k-pop as a whole. I can’t think … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. May 2017 Overall Thoughts May was a month of contrasts. The first two weeks were among the … Continue reading
iKON is YG Entertainment‘s newest boy group, formed through a series of survival shows that saw them debuting one year after their peers Winner. The guys may have only recorded one full album so far, but with YG’s singles-oriented release schedule, they have just enough title tracks for a top ten countdown. iKON is currently one … Continue reading
With a title like B-Day (벌떼), a song could easily devolve into cringe-worthy territory. But with the first of iKON’s double title tracks trying too hard to paint the guys as swagger-filled hip-hop legends, a little levity is welcome. And although B-Day doesn’t receive top billing on the group’s new single album, it’s by far … Continue reading
Now that YG Entertainment has moved to a double title track only release schedule for most of their artists — often with a long break in between comebacks — it’s essential for every one of those songs to be amazing. If you start giving the music video treatment to subpar material, it weakens the whole … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that, after a year and a half since launching this website, I still haven’t had the opportunity to review any Korean comebacks by solo Bigbang members. For a group approaching military enlistment age, you’d think that YG would want to keep the members as busy as possible. So Good may have been created as … Continue reading
Listeners who are familiar with PSY‘s music through his colorful, viral music videos might not be aware of just how compelling he can be when he slows down and stops trying to grab youtubers’ attention. There are a treasure trove of b-sides that reveal a much more interesting side to his persona, and his pre-Gangnam … Continue reading
I’m a firm believer that music shouldn’t be in the meme business. A dynamite song should be able to stand on its own, apart from any visual gimmick or performance trick. As silly and viral as everything about Gangnam Style was, the track itself possessed an incredible series of hooks that anchored its more off-the-wall … Continue reading
Released in September of 2013, Coup d’Etat built on the touchstones of G-Dragon‘s 2009 debut album and his 2012 One Of A Kind mini. At this point, his immense star power had been cemented, allowing for high-profile collaborations that brought a more international flavor to his work. Within this framework, Coup d’Etat is one of k-pop’s … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. April 2017 Overall Thoughts 2017 continues to fall behind when compared to last year. Though it was easy … Continue reading
Despite its downbeat title, Sad Song (슬픈 노래) is actually the more uptempo offering from Sechs Kies‘ 20th Anniversary comeback. Calling it a dance track might be a bit misleading, as it retains the moodiness of its counterpart Be Well, but its persistent electro beat gives the song a stylish drive that raises the energy to … Continue reading
When Sechs Kies first signed with YG Entertainment, it was hard to imagine what their new music would sound like. They were one of the defining k-pop groups of the late 90’s, known for hard hitting dance tracks and delicate, mid-tempo singalongs. As with any comeback from a first generation band, I would have hoped … Continue reading
Lately, YG artists have taken to releasing nearly every new track as a single, complete with music video and extended promotion. As with anything, this strategy is a double-edged sword. It’s exciting to have a visual complement to each piece of music, even if the project’s hefty budgetary requirements may limit the amount of material that … Continue reading
Of all the acts that have been screwed over by YG Entertainment‘s unreliable release schedule, none has had to put up with more than Winner. First there was the nearly two year wait between their debut and follow-up, and then came last year’s botched EXIT project (they never made it past “E,” regrettably). Though the group has … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. March 2017 Overall Thoughts Oh, March. It’s such a long month, yet gives us so little when it … Continue reading
Bigbang may be one of the biggest k-pop acts around, but they’ve also mastered the art of solo releases. Each of their five members has released solo work tailored specifically to their strengths. Most of these have fit comfortably within the Bigbang brand, but power vocal Daesung has branched out even further, carving an immensely … Continue reading
Debuting with YG Entertainment in 2014, sibling duo Akdong Musician are the very best act to come out of competition series K-Pop Star. Their acoustic pop sound pulls in a seemingly endless mix of genres, bursting with creativity and a sense of boundary-pushing inventiveness. Despite only having three proper studio albums to their name, they’ve … Continue reading
Akdong Musician have always seemed older than their years, bringing a sense of world-weary maturity to even their lightest pop songs. Since their first album in 2014, they’ve been going from strength to strength on the back of older sibling Lee Chanhyuk’s brilliant songwriting. And with The Tree (나무), they’ve brought that idiosyncratic vision to … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 